Air Fryer Pork Roast

Make juicy pork roast with crispy cracking with minimal effort using my favorite air fryer pork roast recipe. Perfect for stress free roast dinners!

Jump to:

• Why this recipe works
• Pork Joints
• Instructions
• Helpful equipment
• Roasting times
• Crackling troubleshooting
• Top tips
• Serving suggestions
• Leftovers
• Frequently asked questions
• You might also like these recipes
• Recipe

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Why this recipe works

• Cooking your meat in the air fryer frees up your oven for more delicious side dishes.
• This provides the perfect juicy pork roast, regardless of which joint you use.
• If your joint has a rind on it, the air fryer makes the easiest and crispiest crackling!
• Works well for small or large joints.
• All you need is your pork joint and air fryer - it couldn't be easier!

Pork Joints

You can use any cut of pork, or any pork joint for this recipe. I like to use a tender cut of pork, such as a pork loin joint, as they are better suited for fast cooking, compared to tougher cuts such as pork shoulder or pork butt.

You might also want to check out my air fryer pork belly and air fryer pork tenderloin recipes to learn how to cook the specific cuts of pork.

The recipe includes instructions on how to make crackling. Keep in mind that crackling is crispy pork skin, and you can only make cracking if your pork joint has the skin (also known as rind) still attached.

If you buy a pork joint without skin, you can still follow the recipe instructions to make a delicious pork roast without crackling.

💡 TIP! When you choose your pork joint, make sure that it can actually fit in your air fryer. Air fryers and meat come in vastly different sizes.

Instructions

Note: You have to start preparing your pork roast 24 hours before cooking if you want to make crackling from the rind.

Score the rind length ways. Rind can be quite hard to cut through, so you will have to carefully use a sharp knife. Make sure to only cut the rind, and not to cut through to the fat and meat underneath.

Pat the rind dry with a paper towel, and salt generously. Make sure to rub salt into the cuts you just made. Then, leave the pork roast to rest uncovered in a refrigerator skin side up for around 24 hours. Make sure to have a look at it once or twice while it rests, and wipe off any liquid that appears. This will ensure that the rind dries out completely.

Preheat your air fryer to 400 F / 200 C.

Transfer the pork roast to the air fryer, rind side up, and air fry until the internal temperature of the pork is 145 F / 63 C. The exact roasting time will vary, but you can find suggested times in the table below.

Remove the cooked pork roast from the air fryer, and leave it for about 15 minutes before you carve and serve.

Helpful equipment

Although you don't need much specialty equipment for the recipe, here's a few handy items I love and recommend:

• Air fryer: Choose an air fryer that cooks evenly, and make sure that it's large enough to fit your entire joint.
• Tongs: Tongs are really handy for removing the pork roast from the air fryer without having to flip it upside down. I use tongs a lot with my air fryer!
• Meat thermometer: Using a thermometer is the easiest way to ensure juicy, perfectly cooked pork. You don't have to worry about under- or overcooking it, regardless of its size.

Roasting times

The exact roasting time will vary depending on the size of the meat that you use. Naturally, a smaller pork roast will cook faster than a larger one. Here's a simple table to help you calculate the expected cooking time, however I highly recommend using a meat thermometer for accuracy.

Size of the roast	Roasting time
1 lb / 450 g	30 minutes
1.5 lbs / 700 g	40 minutes
2 lbs / 900 g	50 minutes
2.5 lbs / 1.2 kg	1 hour 5 minutes

Crackling troubleshooting

It's really easy to get perfect crackling with this recipe, but just in case you encounter any issues, here's a handy troubleshooting guide:

Crackling doesn't get crispy

This is the most common problem, and is caused by one of two things: too much moisture in the skin, or cooking at too low temperatures. If you cook your roast at the temperatures suggested, the skin probably has too much moisture in it.

Make sure to only score the skin and not into the fat, salt it generously, and wipe off excess water multiple times while you're storing the joint uncovered in a refrigerator for at least 24 hours before cooking. All of these steps combined should dry out the skin sufficiently.

Crackling gets too crispy or burned before the meat is cooked

This could potentially happen if you have a very thick pork joint. Crackling is usually fine if it's a little overcooked, but if it's starting to burn, you can gently cut off the crackling, remove it from the air fryer, and leave the meat to finish cooking separately.

The meat is cooked before the crackling is crispy

If this happens, you can gently remove meat from the air fryer, and gently cut off the pork skin. Place the skin back into the air fryer separately. Cook it on high heat until it forms crackling, and serve it alongside the pork.

I want to add a glaze or marinade to the joint and crackling

Glazes, marinades or other liquids will prevent the crackling from forming. I therefore only recommend adding these to the meat after the crackling has formed, for example in the last 10-15 minutes of the cooking time. Alternatively, you can pour the glaze or sauce over the pork joint after it's cooked, to serve.

Top tips

Here's my best tips to make the best tender air fryer pork roast:

• Use a meat thermometer! Your exact cooking time will vary depending on the size of the joint and the make and model of your air fryer.
• If you don't intend on making crackling, or your pork joint has no skin, you can add seasoning or marinades as you please before cooking.

Serving suggestions

From traditional favorites to alternative serving options, here are some of my favorite side dishes to enjoy with my air fryer pork roast.

• Easy Pork Seasoning (Sugar Free) - My favorite pork rub, for those who want to add a little seasoning to their roast.
• Mexican Potatoes - Perfect roast diced potatoes with the best flavor.
• Carrot Rice - This colorful rice is an excellent easy side.
• Sauteed Red Cabbage - Red cabbage is a classic British roast dinner side dish.
• Healthy Mashed Potatoes - Creamy, delicious mashed potatoes with Greek yogurt.
• Yogurt Dill Sauce - A chilled, refreshing yogurt sauce with herbs.

Leftovers

You can store leftover cooked pork roast for up to 4 days in a refrigerator in a sealed container.

You can use the leftovers in a variety of other dishes, such as wraps, pork chop fajitas, sandwiches or casseroles, or serve it as an entree several days in a row.

Whenever I cook a roast, I always choose one that's slightly too large to ensure that we have plenty of leftover meat for lunches through the week. It's a great way to prepare easy meals ahead.

Frequently asked questions

You might also like these recipes

• Air Fryer Pork Chops
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
• Air Fryer Drumsticks
• Air Fryer Steak
• Perfect Pan Seared Pork Loin Steaks
• Air Fryer Whole Chicken

If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!

Recipe